There's renewed hope Mataura may finally be freed of the burden of 10,000 tonnes of potentially toxic waste.
Court action taken by the Environmental Defence Society against the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter's owners led to Alternate Environment Judge Laurie Newhook saying the parties are strongly engaged in urgently speeding up the process.
The ouvea premix - a waste byproduct of aluminium production which releases deadly ammonia gas when it gets wet - was moved into a disused papermill in Mataura by a now defunct company without resource consent.
The Environmental Defence Society has said it wants it out of Mataura by Christmas and the judge's comments have those in the Southland finally feeling optimistic.
Gore District Mayor Tracy Hicks spoke to RNZ Otago-Southland reporter Timothy Brown about the court process.
